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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745826">You're Only the Best I Ever Had</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardAnglophile/pseuds/TheAwkwardAnglophile'>TheAwkwardAnglophile</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Rookie (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Friendship, One Shot, Romance, Unresolved Romantic Tension, her last day as rookie, unapologetic fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 14:13:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745826</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAwkwardAnglophile/pseuds/TheAwkwardAnglophile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the end of shift on Lucy's last day as a rookie, and goodbyes need to be said, but not before Tim gets something off his chest first.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tim Bradford &amp; Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You're Only the Best I Ever Had</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRookBook/gifts">TheRookBook</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The title is taken from a line in the song Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning) by Vertical Horizon.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucy lingers for a few extra minutes near the door to the parking garage, hoping to catch Tim on his way out. It had been a great final day of her year as a rookie. She'd handled every single call with finesse, and breezed through all the last-minute Tim Tests he tried to cram in. She couldn't feel more confident about moving forward as a police officer if she tried. She knew she was exactly where she needed to be. </p><p>Except Tim isn't where she needs him to be. They had both been pulled in different directions by the time they got back to the station, and she hadn't seen him since. He must have already gone home. </p><p>She couldn't leave it like this. She had to give him some sort of goodbye, even though the thought of actually putting a final period on this year of training was giving her stomach more knots than she would ever admit to. Still, it wasn't just any other day. How could he just leave and not say goodbye, after everything they'd been through?</p><p>Lucy looks at her phone, sighing when she sees the time. Jackson and John would just have to wait a little longer for her to join them for celebratory drinks. They'll understand.</p><p>After a couple more minutes, she finally gives up and heads towards her new, well, new-to-her car. At least the doors locked on this one. </p><p>She's already thinking about how appropriate it would be to stop by Tim's house later when she finally sees him, leaning against her car, a small smile on his face. It's the same smile she's been seeing a lot more frequently during their shifts.</p><p><i>He waited for her</i>.</p><p>She's stunned. This was the last thing she expected. But then, Tim never fails to take her by surprise.</p><p>As Lucy approaches him, she bites the inside of her cheek to tamp down her growing smile.</p><p>"You did it," he states. </p><p>And just like that, she fully releases her grin. <i>She really did</i>.</p><p>"Any last words of advice?" she asks.</p><p>He folds his arms, an eyebrow raised. "Do you <i>need</i> advice?"</p><p>"No, just trying to figure out why you were here at my car."</p><p>"I thought you deserved the acknowledgment that you completed your training, which I just gave you," he says matter-of-factly. He still appeared every bit the TO, but Lucy could hear the more playful tone being masked.</p><p>"Thanks. I'm glad you're here. I-I thought you left, and I wanted to say goodbye." She could already feel a lump forming in her throat. At the beginning of her rookie year, she figured she'd be doing cartwheels of joy when she could be free of Tim's training. Not anymore. They'd been through too much together, and the thought of him not being by her side every day was nearly unbearable. </p><p>"Yeah, I did, too, and," he pauses, looking directly at her, "Now that I'm officially no longer your TO, I guess there's no harm in telling you that you were right."</p><p>She cocks her head to the side a bit. "Mind telling me what I was right about?" she asks, genuinely curious.</p><p>He watches as her eyes practically dance. For reasons he can't define or doesn't want to define, he needs to tell her this. She deserves to hear it. Leaning in a bit closer, as if to assure that his next words were solely for her ears, he says, "What you said on the audiobook you made. You are, by far, the best rookie I've ever trained."</p><p>She shivers at the softness of his voice, and his words go straight to her heart. It hits her that she's subconsciously been hoping to hear those words this whole year. It means <i>so much</i> coming from him. It means the world, actually.</p><p>Tears spring to Lucy's eyes, and without another thought she launches herself straight at him, wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her face in his chest.</p><p>Tim blinks in shock. He half expected her to make a snarky comeback like <i>of course</i>, she's the best rookie. He wasn't prepared for tears. His arms gently wind around her, completely enveloping her. He finds himself instantly relaxing at her touch. He hadn't touched her like this since…since <i>that</i> day.</p><p>He'd almost lost her that day. But she's here now, full of life…and no longer his rookie.</p><p>An ache begins to take hold in his gut.</p><p>"Thank you," she whispers. For more than she could ever begin to list out loud here. His arms around her provide a feeling of safety she hadn't felt since before Caleb. It was a feeling she never wanted to lose, but she had no idea how to keep it from slipping from her grasp.</p><p>After a minute, he slowly releases her.</p><p>In an effort to lighten the mood, she adds, "It is only fair to mention you were the best TO I ever had."</p><p>Tim rolls his eyes, but his smile gives him away. "Only one you had, Boot."</p><p>"Still, I wouldn't have wanted any other." <i>So much for lightening the mood</i>.</p><p>He shakes his head in wonder. That wasn't the typical response from his rookies. They usually couldn't get away from him fast enough, begging for anyone else to finish training them. He was too hard, too mean, too…heartless, they said. They couldn't handle it.</p><p>Not Lucy.</p><p>She had been willing to stick it out, so he had been willing to stick it out for her, even when there were opportunities to leave.</p><p>The smile she's now giving him makes it all worth it.</p><p>She made it.</p><p>They both did.</p><p>Almost beyond his control, he finds himself leaning in to kiss her forehead. It's too much. He <i>knows</i> it's too much, but she's standing there all sunshine and warmth, and they've had a hell of a year.</p><p>And he's going to miss her, more than he ever realized.</p><p>"Congratulations, Lucy," he says, his voice thicker than normal, his breath still close enough for her to feel.</p><p>It takes all of her power to open her eyes and pretend like her world hadn't just completely shifted off its axis. She nods at him as she hoists her bag back on her shoulders. </p><p>"Well, now that you've finished training your best rookie, it's only a matter of time before you get snatched up as sergeant somewhere and forget all about me."</p><p>"Not possible, Boot."</p><p>"Yeah?" She helplessly watches him while hoping for him to expand on that thought.</p><p>He sighs, choosing his words carefully before continuing. "Look, I've <i>never</i> made it a habit of staying connected to my rookies. But if <i>you</i> need me, I'm here. Anytime. I'll always have your back."</p><p>"I just might…need you, that is."</p><p>The look Tim gives her is so full of…hope? Is that hope she sees? She's scarcely able to breathe from the force of his stare.</p><p>Their chapter as TO and rookie might have just ended, but maybe, just maybe, a new chapter could begin for them. She has no idea what it might look like.</p><p>But Lucy can't wait to find out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends! I'm a long-time fic writer (all of my work is over on FF.net), but this is my first fic for The Rookie! I've become obsessed with Chenford over this past year. I've been wanting to write a Chenford fic for a while but nothing was really coming together. Then the other day, I came across a Tumblr post (thanks, @TheRookBook!) about how Tim needs to tell Lucy she's the best rookie he's ever trained, and I instantly got inspired with a story. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear from you! Please comment and let me know what you thought!</p><p>You can also find me fangirling over on <a href="https://theawkwardanglophile.tumblr.com/">my Tumblr</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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